ADS Drivetrain Upgrade Thoughts

Kevin said:
Even without mods our battered Xs can do twisties better than a ute ;)
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I take your point for the most part, but modern utes are powerful, their drivers are sometimes insane, and if you get too close to 3 thou in a tight corner there's simply not sufficient torque to compete with a turbo diesel on the way out. With the .444 final drive I was in third and probably between 3250 and 4500rpm most the time, which is the sweet spot for the 2.5NA, IMO. Certainly felt like I was pushing on but perhaps age is catching up with me.
 
^ John, the EJ-253 donk gets about 80% of max torque by about 1200 rpm, and is still over 90% when the ECU cuts the engine at 6300 rpm. Better torque range than an XT ... just not as much.
 
JohnA said:
“the helical LSD at the front balances power at the wheels…”
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Do you mind me asking: what brand of LSD did you install in the front? My Outback is also 4.444, and I have a Cusco hybrid LSD for the back, but I couldn’t find a torsen LSD for the front anywhere. So I’m keen to know who supplied yours. Thanks…
 
It was supplied by ADS here in Sydney - the specification of the All Terrain 144 package they supplied states "Helical Torsen front LSD". Going through the invoices just now I note the unit installed was described thus: "Front Diff OEM STI Torsen/Helical 6MT".

It would definitely add something to the performance and safety of the Outback on dirt roads, as well as in the messy stuff. The Torsen helical is revelatory in my experience. It does change the weight/feel of the steering - in a good way.
 
Thank you, John. I’ll check that out, but I always thought the 6MT had a different ratio…
 
The LSD is the diff centre. This can be fitted to different ratio ring and pinion gears. The 6MT unit is possibly stronger and I believe it requires some modification to fit in the 5MT but it does work.

Cheers

Bennie
 
El_Freddo said:
The LSD is the diff centre. This can be fitted to different ratio ring and pinion gears. The 6MT unit is possibly stronger and I believe it requires some modification to fit in the 5MT but it does work.

Cheers

Bennie
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Thanks for that, Bennie. You just answered a question I’ve been trying to find answer to for months, so I really appreciate it. For the benefit of anyone else thinking of doing this, Cusco Japan are clear that none of their LSDs will fit the front of my 4AT Outback. Meanwhile, web sites like Primitive Racing continue to insist that they will, so it’s a perplexing business…
 
Dave Hansford said:
Cusco Japan are clear that none of their LSDs will fit the front of my 4AT Outback. Meanwhile, web sites like Primitive Racing continue to insist that they will, so it’s a perplexing business…
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That’s the difference between the manufacturer and those on the ground/out in the field playing with the gear fitting it to stuff and making it work.

My OBX front diff was listed as not fitting the dual range but I knew it had been done before so didn’t hesitate. To make it fit the Allen key bolt heads needed to be shaved to clear the larger L series low range gears. To run the diff ratio I wanted the ring gear needed a trimming too.

It all depends on what you’re willing to play with and what you’re willing to put down in terms of your hard earned. Then there’s the possibility of having to pay someone to do this work too.

I don’t have any experience with autos so can’t comment on LSDs that fit them. Best to call primitive racing and have a chat with them. They might want to do the work for you so they can be sure it’s fitted correctly, be prepared for that potential curve ball to your plans if you were wanting to DIY ;)

Cheers

Bennie
 
You’re a braver man than me, Bennie, but then, I don’t really know much about diffs, and they say you always fear what you don’t understand!
 
Something I've since read about the 20kg centre coupling is that it increases understeer - people talk about this being an issue in carparks and on paved roads. Whether it's the combination of the Torsen front end and the 20kg coupling, or my pedestrian driving style, I've noticed no such effect. Have lost the front once but the corner was tight and muddy, and went in too fast.
 
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